Unemployment Rose Significantly in July

In July, 359,374 people were registered as unemployed or in an AMS training program. This is an increase of 17,605 job seekers compared to July of the previous year, a rise of 5.2 percent. The unemployment rate is 6.7 percent (up 0.3 percentage points year-on-year), the Ministry of Social Affairs announced on Friday. The number of long-term unemployed increased by 9.8 percent.

Unemployment Rose in Various Sectors

Unemployment among women increased by 6.8 percent in July, while there was a 4.3 percent increase among men. Youth unemployment rose by 3.7 percent. The number of immediately available apprenticeship seekers registered with the AMS increased significantly by 7.3 percent. Unemployment among people with foreign citizenship increased by 5.3 percent, while it was plus 5.5 percent among Austrians.

Focus on Freelance Contracts

The Ministry of Social Affairs took a closer look at the development of freelance contracts: These would continue to increase. In June 2025, around 15,200 fully insured freelance contracts were registered - an increase of 3.9 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. In addition, there were around 26,900 marginal freelance contracts (plus 6.5 percent).

Particularly noticeable was the increase among men. "With an increase of 7.2 percent, the rise in freelance contracts above the marginal employment threshold in June is significantly higher than among women, whose number stagnated at 0.2 percent," according to the ministry. About one in five freelance contracts is in the health and social sector, followed by the education and teaching sectors as well as scientific and technical services.

The development in the sector of "other postal, courier, and express services," which also includes food delivery services, is striking: Compared to June 2024, the number of freelance contracts here has more than quadrupled.

Fewer Job Vacancies

Statistics Austria also contributed figures to the labor market today. In the 2nd quarter of 2025, Austrian companies reported 147,900 job vacancies according to a quarterly sample survey. This corresponds to a decrease of 4.0 percent compared to the previous quarter. This is the fifth consecutive quarter with a decline in vacant positions.

(APA/Red)

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